Good news for parents: we may have just found the cheapest childrenโs toy ever. Itโs a cardboard box.
We know that kids love making forts out of these things, but did you know that there are so many other possibilities? 51 possibilities, in fact. Weโve mapped them all out for you here so next time you have to keep your kid busy, you will have some tricks up your sleeve.
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Viral Nova
1. Turn it into a camp trailer
Not enough time for a trip to the woods right now? Donโt sweat it! Create a faux camping trip with an adorable mini camp trailer.
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Viral Nova
2. Cardboard purse
It may not be a Chanel bag but for the price and convenience, itโs a perfect option for when your kid wants to play dress up!
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Viral Nova
3. Kitty house
A gift for not only your child, but your pet! Use a box to build the ultimate dream castle for your cat.
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Viral Nova
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4. Washing machine
A washing machine made out of a cardboard box might not sound fun to you, but it is oh-so-fun for children looking to play house!
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Viral Nova
5. Make a fruit stand
What a treat, especially in the summer! Build a simple stand out of the box so that the kids can use it to sell fruit or maybe lemonade. Professional.
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Viral Nova
6. Mini bed
You know what is cuter than a stuffed animal? A stuffed animal lying in their own mini bed! You can even dress it with a mini blanket and pillows.
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Viral Nova
7. Gas pump
For kids, itโs fun to pretend to work at a gas station! Create a safe one for them and let them pump โgas.โ Even better if they have toy cars.
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Viral Nova
8. Stores
Who needs a treehouse when you have a whole shopping strip?! Dress the box up as a local bakery and post office and the kids will be entertained for days.
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Viral Nova
9. Kitchen
You can even make a whole kitchen out of a cardboard boxes! Have them store some small dishes in there. Maybe even an empty cereal box or two.
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Viral Nova
10. Stove top
In addition to the kitchen, you can even create a stove top for them to โcook.โ Donโt worry, thereโs no real gas or fire, so it is one hundred percent safe!
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Viral Nova
11. A whole city
Grab some Legos, draw up a map of streets and BAM! Your kid has got a whole city in the palm of his or her hands!
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Viral Nova
12. Maze
If youโre feeling ambitious and want to fill an entire room with boxes, make a huge maze! It will be so much fun to get lost in and you wonโt have to pay a ton of money for it!
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Viral Nova
13. Sewing machine
Are the kids jealous of all the sewing youโre doing? Let them join in with youโฆ But with a toy sewing machine so that they canโt hurt themselves!
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Viral Nova
14. Box phone
Your children want to make phone calls, but you donโt want to pay the bill. And they are way too young to even have anyone to call. Hereโs a great alternative.
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Viral Nova
15. Castle
Your kids are royalty. So treat them like it! Get even more creative and use some leftover cardboard tubes from paper towels.
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Viral Nova
16. Traffic light
If your child has some toy cars, then they are going to need some traffic lights! Better to teach them the rules early on!
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Viral Nova
17. Guitar
If your child has expressed some potential interest in music, make them a guitar! It would be a great way to get them to learn the instrument and they can pretend to be a rockstar.
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Viral Nova
18. Stereo
The best part of making a stereo out of a box for the kids is that they can turn the volume up to 100 and no one will get mad.
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Viral Nova
19. Barn
Your son or daughter canโt have a bunch of toy animals with no where to store them! Thatโs why it would be so cute to create a toy barn for them.
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Viral Nova
20. Pirate ship
Arg, matey! Time to make a pirate ship! You can even dress it up in some waves so itโs like itโs actually floating in the ocean.
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Viral Nova
21. Wall decorations
This one is for the whole family! Cut some boxes into one of your favorite animals and hang it on the wall as decoration. Itโs like taxidermy, except no animal was harmed.
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Viral Nova
22. Marble maze
You made a maze for your kids. Now it is time to make a maze for their marbles!
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Viral Nova
23. Plane
Hereโs where your kidโs imagination can really run โ or fly โ wild! Let them board a plane and go wherever their mind takes them!
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Viral Nova
24. Train
If your child is afraid of heights (ha!), build them a train! Choo-choo!
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Viral Nova
25. Or an automobile
See what we did there? Planes, Trains and Automobiles?! Seriously though, you can make an impressive car out of a box. Vroom vroom.
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Viral Nova
26. An entire city
Your kid deserves the world, so build one for them. Or at least start with a city. Build a bunch of towers and stand them next to each other, just like a skyline!
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Viral Nova
27. Cafe
Your kids may be too young to drink coffee, but that doesnโt mean they canโt pretend. Have them be a barista and serve โcustomersโ in their own little coffee shop!
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Viral Nova
28. Drive-in movie theater
Whatโs cozier than setting up a ton of boxes in the spring or summer and watching a movie with friends and family?
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Viral Nova
29. Transformer
Now how cool is this? Let your kids feel big and strong in this crazy, box-based transformer costume!
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Viral Nova
30. Elevator
It may not actually take your kids anywhere, but they can have fun trying!
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Viral Nova
31. Another type of washing machine
As you can see here, you can even draw a little design and add dials to the washing machine with marker! Simple and easy!
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Viral Nova
32. Gingerbread house
Throw some lollipops and other little treats around the house and youโre done! Such a wonderful idea for the holidays especially.
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Mrs. Goff's
33. An indoor town
Keep the roads inside the box! With just one box, use markers to draw the roads on the inside. The driveable little town will be perfect for their small toys.
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Pickle Bums
34. Golf
It is such a smart idea to turn a box into a full-blown game! Itโs interactive, all you need is some golf balls and a golf club. The kids will have so much fun.
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Princess Pinky Girl
35. Cardboard slide
You will want to be careful with this oneโฆ But with the proper spotter and someone nearby to watch, this could be really fun for the kids. Basically all you have to do is lay the cardboard flat on a staircase!
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Princess Pinky Girl
36. Toilet paper stamps
Itโs so simple, you will be kicking yourself for not even thinking of it! Just bend leftover cardboard rolls into the shapes you want. Easy-peezy.
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Princess Pink Girl
37. DIY Ring toss
If you loved the golf idea, you will probably love this too! Try making a ring toss out of the cardboard. The children will think the fun games will never end.
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Teach Me Mommy
38. Playhouse
This is the most extra playhouse and we LOVE IT. Get some funky printed wallpaper in there. Maybe even build a couple of stories.
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A Beautiful Mess
39. Rocket
This is the most creative box rocket weโve ever seen. Complete it with some decorative aluminum, stars, and colorful buttons.
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Kate's Creative Space
40. Oven
Let the kids cook! But maybe have some burgers going on an actual grill nearby so that no one gets hangry.
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Ikatbag
41. Mailbox
This is a very cute activity that will for sure keep the kids busy! Have them write letters or draw pictures, fold them up in an envelope, and then put them into their faux mail box. Theyโll be eager for a response!
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Ikatbag
42. Kennel
The childrenโs toy puppies need a home too! Build them a mini house and have the kids take care of them. It is guaranteed to warm your heart and it will be fun for them.
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Ikatbag
43. Camera
Use some paint to decorate it plus a tube to create a fake lens. Now your kid has a camera and they can go around snapping all the pics their hearts desire!
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Pink Stripey Socks
44. Doll house
It might be a cardboard box, but this is the fanciest doll house weโve ever seen. You can have your kids help you make it too, as part of the fun.
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My Cakies
45. Dollhouse bunk beds
Obviously the dolls in that house the kids just built are going to need a place to sleep! Why not build them a couple of bunk beds?
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Ikatbag
46. Fairy house
This is cute, but it is also just downright beautifulโฆ Make a spiraling tree house with a green top, swings, and put some fairy dolls in there. What a whimsical land!
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Ikatbag
47. An entire village
This one will work great especially for the holidays! Dress some houses up with stripes, greens, and reds and line them all up next to each other. Youโve got a cute neighborhood now.
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Good to Know
48. Hats
Similar to the cardboard purses, if your kid is looking to play dress up, gift them with some cardboard hats! Itโll be so much fun and they can pretend to be a magician, tap dancer, or whatever else comes to mind.
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Ikatbag
49. Puppet stage
This one is a classic for a reason. Simply hang a mini curtain on the inside edge of the box โ perhaps on a rod โ and away the kids go! They can grab some puppets and put on a show for their friends!
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Ikatbag
50. Doughnut shop
So your kid always wanted to run their own doughnut shopโฆ Well now, they can! After you build them this doughnut shop window, they will be selling them by the dozens.
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Ikatbag
51. Mannequins
Just in case your kid doesnโt have enough toys, make them some cardboard mannequins! It can help them with all of the puppet shows theyโre about to put on with their new cardboard stage.
Source:
Ikatbag
What are you going to make first?!
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